Foot measuring appliance



1950 J. E. MACKAY 2,519,677

FOOT MEASURING APPLIANCE Filed Nov. 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorney Aug. 22, 1950 J. a MACKAY 2,519,677 FOOT MEASURING APPLIANCE Filed Nov. 16, 1948 '2 Shgets-Shaet. 2

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Patented Aug. 22, 1950 .James EdwiniM'ackay, Street, 1England, assignorto 0.. & J. Clark Limited,-Street, -England,.a

British company Application November 16, 1948, Serial No. 60,240

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved foot measuring. appliance, primarily intended for use by retailers of footwear which is available in stock sizes and fittings.

. The present invention relates more particularly to a foot measuring appliance of the kind which comprises a base, a heel stop carried by said base, a second stop slidab-le. relative to. the heel stop for contacting the toe endv of. the'foot and indicating the required footwear .size on a scaledisposed onsaidbase, and an intermediately disposed member swiv'el'ly adjustable to enable a measuring tape carried thereby to be: passed over the. widest part of the foot for gauging the'girth dimension thereof.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved appliance of the kind above specified which can be used speedily and easily for determining those basic measurements of the foot which suffice to enable the retailerto decide the size and fitting'of footwear required, that is, the overall length of the foot, the girth dimensionof the foot at its widest part and the heelto-ball measurement of the foot. The length of the foot is generally expressed in termsof a numher, well known to the public as the size of the footwear, and this size can be directly indicated o-na scale mounted onthe appliance.

The term fitting is generally employed to designate the width of the footwear required and to ensure correctly fitting footwear. A. range of widths, for example four dilT'eren-t widths; are generally provided for each size of footwear. The efi'ective width of the foot is gauged in appliances of the kind above specifiedby measuring the girth of the foot at its widest-point, viz: on aline which is inclined in relation to the'longitudinal plane in which the foot normally lies,

and this inclined line maybe considereda passing through the metatarsal joints of thebigtoe and the little toe.

In foot measuring appliances of the 'kind'set forth the foot being measured has been supported by means of aheel pad raised abovei 'the surface of a base and also at its widestpart by means of a separate disc or similar pl'ateslidably, and, in some cases, .swivelly movable upon the; surface of the base, thev measuring tape: pass ing between the base and the movable disc or plate.

Another object'of the-presenthivention is to provide a foot measuring appliance of simplified construction and this object is achieved 'by sup,-

gporting the foot'being measured. both :below the -hee1. and below the widest part of vtheziioot by means -.of a single Shot-supporting beneath whicl'rv a tape-carrying memberis freely sl-idhbly and --swivelly-imounted.. v

further object ofi lth'e! invention is to provide -improved means'wherebythe girth of the i001? -1nay be-readily accurately determined. The

auging measurement .thus' obtained, which is v1on9)"erahly'.expr(asst-3d in terms of some arbitrary "limits or standards instead of direct linear measurement, m-ay be compared" with a series of correspondmg-units set out alongside o-f the""size of the iootwear directly indicated onthe scale-by the :means. provided for gauging the overall :length or the root.

Astill furtherobjeetof theinven-tionis to protilde: anapplianee o'f the character-above referred ate which is of compact form and adapted for use on'theexistingshop furniture comprisinga plat-form for the footof the-person 'beingfitted -.to rest upon, this platform being frequently constructed on an -integral-ipart-of thestool for the shop assistant.

practical embodiment of the invention {is showm'by way'of example, in. the accompanying =cl-rawings, wherein? "Figures *1 front and; rear perspective views respectively .of' the. appliance.

Figure '3' isa plan view of the. completeappli- Figure ,4 is along'itudinal sectional.elevation.on

,l'ine IV of Figure 13,, and

"Figure 5.is a cross sectionon, line V, V of Figure 8., drawn to a. larger .scale.

'In the constructionshown, .the footer =tl 1e-gpe1 son "being, fitted. is supported. longitudinally on a halt bar I mounted lengthwise-in; bridge-like manner upon .abas 2 ct elongate-d frame tor-m seas to span the-frame opening 3,, the relative widths 'ofsthe bar' if and. frame opening '3 being :such as to leaveslotsd onopposite longitudinal sides of. the bar I. Ato-neendof the bar 1: afixed stop plate .5 which engagesland'supports the back ot-the-heelywhilst arsecend stops is mounted tor .slid-i-ng movement-over the top "face of the --.bar 'I. {The stope-sui-sadapted to he'slidalong the bar i into, contaetwith the longest toecand :isretained on the bar f l" bymeans. of a cruciform -eme-mber lwh-ich passes under the ibar :l with-its l-longi-tudinal limb engaged ina-zgroovell formed in-sthe .underfaceoi' the bar I;..

The cruciform member 1' is attached; through itsi'transverse lim b by screws 3 tojlugs lll'which'depend dcwnfrom the stop 63 :on-npposi'te l'ongitudinat "sides; of-ithe hat J.. Theituefitop 6? is of :wedgezshepe in longi tudinal cross section and the thin edge of the wedge is adapted to indicate directly the size of the footwear required for the length of foot gauged between the stops and 6 on a scale card II stationed in a shallow recess I2 provided in the top face of the foot-supporting bar I. The numerals indicating the size of footwear are given in the first column of the scale card I I, the remaining four columns give alongside of each size numeral a series of numbers corresponding to those on the foot-width measuring tape as referred to later. Markings corresponding to those at the head of the columns on the scale card I'I may be repeated on the sloping front face of the wedge-shaped toe stop 5 to facilitate reading of the card I I as the toe stop 6 is moved thereover.

Intermediately of the fixed heel stop 5 and the slidably adjustable toe stop 6 is a block I3 comprising a pair of side flanges I I and a dropped centre part I 5. The block I3 is supported by the sliding of the side flanges I 4 along the marginal portions of the base 2 which flank the slots 4. The floor of the centre part of the block I3 is disposed below the bar I and the thickness of the side flanges I4 of the block I3 is such that their upper faces do not project up above the top face of the bar I on which the foot is supported. The checks or side walls I 6 of the sunken centre part I5 of block I3 are radiused or cham'fered as shown so that the block I3 is free to swivel under the bar I and thus dispose a measuring tape I I in the appropriate diagonal or inclined position to embrace the foot at its widest part, that is on a line extending through the metatarsal joints of the big toe and little toe. The tape I1 is threaded through the slots 4 abovethe floor of the centre ,part I5 of block I3 and extends outwardly and upwardly on opposite sides of the bar I through aligned recesses I8 which open into the checks or side walls I6. One end of the tape I1 is provided with a loop I 9 through which the other end of the tape may be threaded So as to strap down the foot lightly on to the bar I. The inside face of the tape II carries a series of numerals and the numeral which can just be seen where the free end of the tape I'I doubles back over the bar of the loop I9 is sought for in one of the four columns opposite to the size numeral indicated by thin front edge of the toe stop 6 in the first column of the scale card II. The reference at the head of the column where the tape numeral being sought for is found designates the fitting required. If the toe stop 6 indicates, for example, that a size 8 shoe is required for the foot being measured, whilst the tape II reveals the numeral 28 which is to be found in the third column of the scale card II in line with the indicated size numeral 8, the reference A" at the head of this third column designates the "fitting of footwear required. The scale card II is detachably accommodated in the recess I2 provided on the bar I so as to be interchangeable with other similar cards covering stock footwear sizes and fittings for mens, womens and childrens shoes. The side flanges [4 of the block I3 are provided with chamfered edges which are adapted, when the block I3 is inclined one way or the other according to whether the right foot or the left foot is being measured, to indicate a marking on one or other of the similar side scales 2| accommodated in shallow recesses 22 in the top face of the base 2. This marking affords an indication of the heel-to-ball measure- -ment of the foot and is also taken into account 4 when deciding which standard fitting of shoe will meet the customers needs.

I claim:

1. A foot measuring appliance comprising an elongated base bearing two side scales extending parallel one to the other and longitudinally of said base for indicating heel to ball measurement of a foot, a longitudinal foot-supporting bar fixedly mounted above said base and between the said side scales, a fixed heel stop at one end of said supporting bar, a toe stop slidable on said supporting bar relative to the fixed heel stop, a size indicating scale on said supporting bar, said toe stop directly indicating on said size indicating scale on said foot-supporting bar the shoe size required for the length of foot measured, a longitudinally slidable block disposed intei'mediately of said heel and toe stops and mounted to swivel under said foot-supporting bar, said block having chamfered portions on each side edge thereof adapted to indicate on said side scales according to the degree of swivelling of said block, the shoe fitting required for heel to ball fitting, and a measuring tape carried by said slidable swivel block and threaded under said foot-supporting bar with its free ends engageable to strap over the widest part of the foot resting on said longitudinal supporting bar.

2. A foot measuring appliance comprising in combination, a base of elongated frame form having an elongated opening, two longitudinally extending and parallel scales on said frame form, one on each side member of the frame-like base for indicating heel to ball measurement of a foot; a longitudinal foot-supporting bar spanning the length of said elongated opening in bridge-like manner and providing a slot along each longitudinal side of said bar; a fixed heel stop at one end of said foot supporting bar, a. toe stop slidable on said supporting bar relative to said fixed heel stop, a shoe size indicating scale on top of said foot supporting bar bearing the shoe size required for the length of foot measured, said toe stop directly indicating on said size scale; a longitudinally slidable block disposed intermediately of said heel stop and toe stop, side flanges on said block slidably suspending said block on the margins of said slots flanking the bridgelike bar, said block having a sunken center part accommodated within the frame opening of said base connected with said side flanges through said slots, said block being mounted -to swivel under said foot-supporting bar, said'block having chamfered edge portions thereon adapted to indicate, according to the degree of swivelling of said block, on one or other of said side scales the shoe fitting required for heel to ball fitting, and a measuring tape carried by said slidable swivel block and threaded under said foot-supporting bar with its free ends engageable to strap over the widest part of the foot resting on said longitudinal supporting bar.

3. A foot measuring appliance according to claim 2, and wherein the side walls of said sunken center part of said block are bevelled to permit the block to swivel in relation to said bar, said side flanges of said block having aligned recesses therein which serve to guide the loop of the measuring tape under said foot-supporting bar.

4. A foot measuring appliance according to claim 2, wherein the measuring tape carries a series of numerals which correspond to columns of numerals on said shoe size indicating scale to indicate the fitting of footwear required for the girth of :foot measured, these columns of 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date McNichol June 6, 1871 Church Jan. 4, 1916 Brown May '7, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Aug. 19, 1885 Great Britain Jan. 1, 1931 

